Ice is forming on the inland lakes; however, most did not have safe ice yet. Anglers may find a little more ice in the Upper Peninsula. This would be a good time to get the ice fishing gear ready to go. 

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake St. Clair: The docks at the boat launches have been removed. Musky anglers were still out and catching fish. Water temperatures were in the upper 30’s and will fall fast with the cold air temperatures.      

Port Sanilac: Anglers were targeting Atlantic salmon in the harbor. 

Saginaw Bay: Walleye fishing at the Spark Plug was very good if you get a day with no wind so you can get out there. Remember, it is a good 10 to 12 miles out, so be sure to monitor the weather. Lake trout and burbot were caught off Caseville. Some were trying for perch in the cuts; however, there was no word on success rates. 

Saginaw River: Walleye fishing entails a lot of sorting to get a couple legal fish 13 inches or bigger. The river is loaded with juvenile fish to keep anglers busy. 

Tittabawassee River: Walleye were caught in Midland County.   

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Kalamazoo River: Anglers were getting the occasional steelhead at the Allegan Dam. 

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Steelhead were caught up near the 6th Street Dam.  A couple walleye also were caught.    

Spring Lake: Some perch were caught off the bridges. 

Muskegon River: The water was slightly stained after the rain and snow melt. Those targeting steelhead continue to find the occasional fish, including some that are quite large. Try flashy patterns with the stained water. 

White River: Anglers still were getting some steelhead when casting or drifting.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Thunder Bay River: A couple Atlantic salmon were caught near the 9th Street Dam by those using orange and yellow beads. 

Au Sable River: Anglers caught Atlantic salmon while swinging large streamers or floating and drifting beads and spawn. Most fish were in the holes and behind current breaks, but a few Atlantic and coho salmon were still found on the beds. Steelhead were caught from the holes when drifting or floating spawn and beads.

Higgins Lake: Had some shoreline ice; however, most of the lake is still open water. 

Houghton Lake: Ice is starting to form; however, anglers should wait a bit longer before heading out. A few spots had 1-5 inches, but most of the lake only had 1-2 inches, so the thickness is not consistent.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

There was no safe ice in this area of the state. A few shallow lakes had ice; however, the area also received a couple inches of wet snow. About the only ones out fishing were those targeting steelhead, which still can be found in the rivers. 

Kalkaska County: Fishing activity was slow. Some lakes had 1 or 2 inches of ice, while others still had open water. 

Pere Marquette River: Anglers caught steelhead from the piers to Lake County.  Some nice fish were caught, but getting them to bite has been a challenge at times. 

Pentwater: Pier anglers managed to catch the odd steelhead or coho. 

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Upper Peninsula

Some of the inland lakes are ice-covered and should stay that way with the cold temperatures. Ice anglers were out on the Manistique Lakes. 

A few lakes in northern Luce County also had some activity, with anglers getting walleye, perch, bass, pike and some panfish. Those heading out need to use extreme caution as the ice thickness is highly variable. 

Two Hearted River: Had good steelhead action down near the mouth. Anglers should anticipate heavy snow totals in northern Luce County.

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Fishing Tip: Are you ready (and prepared) to go ice fishing?

Ice is slowly starting to form throughout the state, thus providing anglers with an opportunity to go fishing. Will you be joining them? Then it’s time to get prepared to head out safely on the ice!

Equipment
You’ll need some special equipment if you head out ice fishing. Take stock of your spud/auger, skimmer, shelter and apparel to have an enjoyable experience out on the water.

Techniques
Pick your preferred ice fishing technique and the species you wish to target and brush up on your skills – whether that is hook-and-line fishing for bluegill, sunfish, perch or crappie; using tip-ups for northern pike, walleye or trout; or spearing for northern pike, muskellunge or sturgeon.

Safety
You should always stay safe when heading on the ice. These five tips can help: 1) Never fish alone; 2) Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return; 3) Always test the ice with a spud; 4) Take the appropriate emergency items, such as a lifejacket and ice picks; and 5) Take a cell phone with you in case you need to call for help. Keep it in a plastic, sealable bag to make sure it doesn’t get wet.

Want more information on ice fishing? Visit Michigan.gov/fishing.

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Note: This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and Conservation Officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.